Orthopedic shoe



April 25, 1939. M. HACK ET AL ORTHOPEDI C SHOE Filed March 50, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 25, 1939. M. HACK ET AL ORTHOPEDI C SHOE Filed March 30,

1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN TOR5 70 r/ayfi ac 5 Da a/L2 Brad ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORTHOPEDIC SHOE Application March 30, 1935, Serial No. 13,844

3 Claims.

This invention relates to orthopedic shoe constructions and has for its object to provide an improved arch supporting means therefor, which, in the preferred form, involves a change in shape of the counter itself.

Arch supports in the form of means to elevate and support an arch of the foot are well known and universally used. We have found that all the results sought to be accomplished by such supports can be very considerably enhanced by extending the supporting means over a larger portion of the foot, as herein described. The improvement results from the fact that when an arch needs supporting the remainder of the foot in the vicinity of the arch needs a scientifically constructed support also, and furthermore, the conventional type of shoe is so constructed that it may not maintain the supported arch in exactly proper position on the supporting means. It is obvious that improper positioning of an arch support will cause pressure at points very likely to be harmful rather than helpful. It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a shoe constructed to properly support the longitudinal arch and the foot generally from the heel to a point immediately in rear of the ball of the foot including means for maintaining the true supporting position during usage.

In our copending application Serial Number 767 filed January 7, 1935, now Patent Number 2,086,999, granted July 13, 1937, we reveal and claim an arch support in the form of an inner sole which embodies certain general principles applicable to the invention herein. The present support may be separately installed in a shoe but it is the main object to provide a counter including the usual heel portion which will have integrally formed therewith our improved arch and foot supporting means for incorporation into a shoe during construction thereof.

It is a further object to provide a support as above described in a modified form having additional protective means for bunions whereby immediate relief from discomfort is combined with supporting functions conducive to a remedying of the causes of the bunions.

It is a further object to provide a stiflener of metal or its equivalent for the arch of the shoe which will cooperate with our improved counter to lend a proper support directly to the bottom of the foot. We are aware that the provision of a metallic strip in the arch of a shoe is old. The strip herein is novel by virtue of its form as an arch supporting means and because of its beneficial cooperative functions with the counter revealed therein which serves, among other things, to retain the foot in correct position over the stiffener.

Other objects and advantages will become hereinafter more fully apparent as reference is had to the accompanying drawings wherein our invention is illustrated by way of example and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved counter with the shoe shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of counter;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 including the counter of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a frontal elevation of the counter, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken. along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

More specifically, l indicates a left shoe which may be of conventional or special shape and construction except for the counter 2 and the shape of the stiffener 3 which is anchored in the heel of the shoe by a spike 4 and which is usually made of metal.

The counter 2 is composed of a heel portion 5 which may be of conventional relative size and shape. Tracing the form of the counter 2, first on the upper edge of inside wall, the heel portion 5 curves downwardly, reaching a low point at 6 immediately above the front vertical edge of the heel: of the shoe. It then curves rapidly upwardly until it reaches a high point 8 corresponding to the high point of the inner arch of the accommodated foot whereupon it curves downwardly, terminating at a point 9 just back of the ball of the foot. The bottom edge In is curved inwardly to an extent sufiicient for attachment to the inner sole.

The upper edge of outside wall I I of the heel 5 curves downwardly reaching a low point l2 at the area of the cuboid and tuberosity of the base of the fifth metatarsal, allowing space for these two bones. From this low region the curvature is upward to a point I3 of sufficient height to lend substantial support forwardly of the above mentioned area as a direct support for the foot at the fifth metatarsal region. From the point [3 the curvature is downward for termination at it immediately back of the head of the fifth metatarsal bone. The lower edge l5 curves inwardly the line a 4 of a sufficient amount for attachment to the inner sole.

The stiffener 3 is shaped to closely co-c'perate with the counter. It widens out from the anchorage point to a maximum width at it which is positioned for direct support of the cuboid bone. The region I6 is laterally turned upwardly at the region beneath the outside of the foot so that in addition to lending direct support to the base of the fifth metatarsal from beneath it serves to position the foot with respect to the counter, as indicated. The region I6 is the salient feature of this stiffener. In order to prevent the stiifener from cutting into the sole of the shoe it is bent slightly upwardly at H.

The counter and stiffener of Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive is essentially the same as that of Figs. 1 to 4 with the exceptions now to be described and corresponding lettered numbers are applied to corresponding portions.

This form is constructed to relieve bunion troubles. The forward end l8 of the inside is of sub stantial height sufficient to encompass the side of the foot at this region.

A soft pad H) of some suitable material such as felt is cemented to the interior surface. The requirement as to shape and position is that the longer counter shall have a crescent shaped terminal as a semi-encompassing pad for the head of the first metatarsal bone, sometimes called the bunion joint. It will thus be seen that pressure is relieved from the point of bunion formation by imposing a partially encircling support for the wall of the shoe upper about the point of ailment. The degree of encompassing is, to some extent, a matter of choice. The inner forward upper portion 20 need not be as extensive as actually illustrated although no harm can come from having the very ample area shown.

The outer forward edge 2i is also of considerable height and padded at 22 in a manner to give semi-encompassing support immediately rearwardly of the head of the fifth metatarsal bone in order to likewise relieve pressure by the wall of the shoe upper against this region of bunion ailment.

It will be understood that the aggregate results attained by the improved construction of a unitary counter may be attained to a less degree, possibly, by employing separate supporting portions so that the counter is not necessarily of integral construction. The advantage of the integral construction is that it guarantees proper aioaoee and exact relative relation of all. supporting portions. Furthermore, only some of our improved supporting means, as for instance, the portion I3 which supports the region forwardly of the cuboid and tuberosity of the base of the fifth metatarsal may be incorporated alone to material advantage in a conventional type although, of course, the total results obtained by the cooperation of all supporting portions cannot be expected.

It is, therefore, apparent that our invention may assume rather a wide variety of forms in actual practice and we desire to be extended protection as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What we claim is:

1. The combination in a shoe of a shoe upper and a comparatively stiif foot supporting means adjacent the interior surface of the upper. said foot supporting means comprising a heel encircling portion having anintegral forward extension for supporting contact at its forward end portion with the outside of the foot of a wearer at the region immediately forwardly of the tuberosity of the base of the fifth metatarsal bone and providing space for said tuberosity, and terminating with its forward edge immediately in the rear of the intended position of the head of the fifth metatarsal bone.

-2. The combination of a shoe and an orthopedic foot supporting means of relatively stiff material having a rear heel encircling portion and an outer side portion, the upper edge of said supporting means at the outer side of the shoe following a forward and downward curve to extend forwardly of and beneath the position to be occupied by both the cuboid bone and tuberosity of the base of the fifth metatarsal bone to provide foot support both forwardly and rearwardly of the tuberosity of said bone.

3. The combination of a shoe and an orthopedic foot supporting means therefor of relatively stiff material having a rear heel encircling portion and an outer side portion, the upper edge of said supporting means at the outer side of the shoe following a downward curve to underpass the normal position of the cuboid bone and curving upwardly immediately forward of this position to provide support both forwardly and rearwardly thereof, said means curving downwardly immediately in the rear of the intended position of the ball of the fifth metatarsal bone.

MORTON HACK. DAVID R. BRADY. 

